EDITORIAL – Trump’s words just keep getting more confused and dangerous

An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.

THE LAST TIME I wrote about Donald Trump, I said the biggest thing we have to worry about in 2024 is that he could be elected president of the United States for a second time.

I received some feedback on that one from people who think Trump knows what he was doing as president. They say they like his policies.

I would argue with respect to his past policies as president but how are you liking his latest “policies” and statements since that January editorial? The most recent came on the weekend when he vowed there would be a “bloodbath” if he isn’t elected this time.

Bloodbath. While his supporters are now scrambling to re-interpret that, it’s pretty clear what he means. His exact words were, “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole country.”

In other words, he’ll only accept the election results if he wins.

He also called imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters “hostages” and said he’ll free them if he’s elected. In fact, he’s long praised the rioters as “great people.”

This man who makes fun of handicapped people and of President Joe Biden’s stutter, and of anyone who isn’t a Trumper, and is up on numerous charges — for which he already owes hundreds of millions of dollars — also questioned whether immigrants are real people: “I don’t know if you call them people. In some cases they’re not people, in my opinion. But I’m not allowed to say that because the radical left says that’s a terrible thing to say.”

He’s also confirmed he “won’t give a penny” to help Ukraine against Russia, and Russia can “do whatever the hell they want” with NATO countries that don’t pay enough. He praises Putin as “brilliant” and last week hosted Putin ally Viktor Orban, the far-right leader of Hungary. “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orban,” he said.

Putin returned the compliment, countering claims that his own “re-election” was undemocratic by saying that all the legal challenges faced by Trump are what’s undemocratic.

And, by the way, Trump would put a 100 per cent tariff on any cars manufactured outside the U.S.

Mind you, these things are coming from the mouth of a man who is growing increasingly confused, incoherent and dangerous every time he takes the stage. Joe Biden, by comparison, is sharp witted and rational.

Mel Rothenburger is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor.  He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.